Chapter 446 Hushed Conversations
In due course, a servant arrived to summon them. "Winston, Lola, dinner is served," he announced. With a shared nod of acknowledgment, Winston and Lola rose from their seats, their laughter and light-hearted banter echoing through the room as they made their way to the dining hall. From a distance, Maria watched them, a flicker of an indiscernible emotion playing in her eyes. For reasons she couldn't quite fathom, every time she saw Lola ingratiating herself with the Medici family, her heart felt as though it had been pierced by a thorn. Upon their arrival at the dining table, Mrs. Medici greeted them with a tinge of annoyance. "Winston, where have you been? Abella has been waiting for you for quite some time," she complained. Winston's gaze landed on the girl seated across from him, and for a moment, he questioned his own sight. Her appearance, demeanor, and figure... Why did they all remind him of the "Master Medici" he had encountered at the safety center earlier that day?"Allow me to introduce you. This is Abella, a student at the Medical University," Mrs. Medici said, breaking his train of thought. As he took in Abella's striking beauty and the faint smile playing on her lips, Winston found himself momentarily stunned. "Abella, meet Winston. He's a forensic scientist who often deals with... well, corpses," Mrs. Medici added, her tone light. A forensic scientist? Wasn't he also known as the infamous hacker, Callahan? "Winston," Abella greeted him, her voice as clear and refreshing as a spring morning. Winston couldn't help but notice the uncanny resemblance between this girl and Master Medici, right down to her voice. She had to be the same girl he had met at the security center! "Abella is greeting you, Winston!" Mrs. Medici chided, noticing his silence. She gave him a light tap on the shoulder, whispering, "Winston, are you even listening?""You're Abella..." Winston managed to say, suppressing his surprise. He asked in a soft voice, "Have we met somewhere before?""Of course you've seen her. She was in the news during June and July this year when the SAT exam results were announced. Abella was the top scorer," Mr. Medici informed him, his tone proud. Once again, Winston was taken aback. Abella's list of talents seemed to be endless. Mr. Medici chuckled at his reaction. "Winston just returned. Let him sit next to Abella and serve her some food," he suggested. At this, Maria moved Lola's chair to the other side of Winston, saying, "Lola, sit next to Winston. After all, you've been reading about him for so long.""Lola talks about Winston often?" Mrs. Medici asked, her curiosity piqued. "Yes, every day, without fail. She talks about him so much that my ears have grown calloused…" Maria replied, her laughter joining the others'. Winston turned his gaze to Abella, her natural beauty taking his breath away. He found himself asking, "Firewall..." His voice was barely a whisper. Abella's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Have you found a way to crack it yet?" she asked, her tone light. It was her! Winston took a deep breath, trying to process the revelation. He had never imagined that Abella was the hacker Master Medici, and that her hacking skills surpassed his own! His self-assured facade crumbled, leaving him feeling exposed. Mrs. Medici, oblivious to their hushed conversation, assumed they were getting along well. While she was pleased, she also reminded them, "Winston, don't just chat. Serve Abella more food! She loves seafood.""I'll peel the shrimp for you," Winston offered, reaching out to take a shrimp. After peeling it, he placed it on Abella's plate. "It's not completely peeled; there are still shrimp shells on top," Mrs. Medici pointed out. Turning to Abella, she added, "Abella, don't blame Winston. He hasn't peeled shrimp for anyone in over a decade. He's a bit rusty."Winston had a multitude of questions for Abella. How did she acquire such advanced hacking skills? Where did she learn them? How did she manage to excel academically while also being a skilled hacker? But with so many people around, he chose to ask, "Are you getting used to being home?""I am," she replied. "Do you need any improvements in terms of clothing, food, housing, or transportation?" he asked. "Everything is fine," she assured him. As Winston placed the peeled shrimp onto her plate, he asked, "No one bullies you at home, right?"As soon as the words left his mouth, Maria's gaze snapped to Abella, fear flashing in her eyes as she worried about what Abella might reveal.
Abella found herself taken aback, a small flicker of surprise dancing in her eyes. She wondered why Winston would pose such a question. Was it merely a casual inquiry, or had he stumbled upon some hidden truth?"If anyone ever bullies you, you must inform me," he said, his voice firm yet gentle."Okay," she responded.Winston proceeded to place a peeled shrimp onto her plate, his gaze lingering on her for a moment. He noted her well-mannered demeanor, both in her speech and the way she ate. She was utterly endearing in her simplicity.Just then, Lola intervened, placing a peeled shrimp onto Winston's plate. "Winston, you should eat too. If you don't, the food will get cold."It was only then that Winston remembered his other sister sitting beside him. He had been so engrossed in peeling shrimp for Abella that he had completely overlooked Lola."You can peel shrimp too..." Winston's gaze fell on the unappealing shrimp in his plate, a soft light filling his eyes. He couldn't bring himself to eat it, so he returned the shrimp to Lola's plate. "You eat it, you're too skinny.""Winston, do you think the shrimp I peeled is not good-looking?" Lola asked, a hint of disappointment in her voice."Of course not, I just can't bear to eat it," Winston replied."I peeled this shrimp for you. You must eat it." Lola insisted, placing the shrimp back onto Winston's plate.At this point, Maria cast a glance at Celeste, who immediately chimed in, "Lola is always thinking about Winston, she even peels shrimp for him. She's such a good sister."In contrast, Abella had never peeled shrimp for any of her brothers!After a while, Lola served soup to their parents and Winston, prompting another round of praise from Celeste. "Lola is becoming more sensible. She not only cares about her parents but also her brothers...""Winston, these are your favorite dishes. Have more." Lola picked up the serving fork and served Winston some food."With a sister like Lola, Winston is truly fortunate...""Celeste, you talk too much." This time, Winston raised his eyes and looked at Celeste, his voice carrying a slight chill. "Abella has also served me many dishes. Why aren't you praising her?""Yes, Abella did a decent job...""Eating is not a competition, so why bother eating at all?"Winston's sudden outburst left Mrs. Medici slightly confused. They were all enjoying a pleasant meal, so why was he criticizing the servants?"I'm sorry, Winston, it was my mistake. I praised Lola because I thought she did well...""If you want to praise someone, praise them both. How would the other one feel?"Now, Mrs. Medici finally understood why her son was upset. It made sense. Celeste kept saying that Lola did a great job. Lola was a good sister, and Abella must have felt a certain way hearing that..."Celeste, stop talking if you don't have anything nice to say. You can leave now; we don't need your service here." Mrs. Medici's voice held a hint of displeasure.
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